Pertamina plants 2,500 mangrove

JAKARTA: State oil company Pertamina planted on Saturday 2,500 mangrove trees in the protected forest in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, to help ease the impact from floods that hit the area annually.

"This is our commitment to improve the environment in order to help the city administration handle floods," said Pertamina official Adiatma Sarjito.

Pertamina has also planted mangrove trees in other coastal areas, including Cilacap, Central Java, and Balongan, West Java.

Head of Natural Resources Conservation Center Jakarta Edi Sensudi said mangrove forests in the capital cover only 25 hectares in Muara Angke and 45 hectares in Angke Kapuk.

"Previously, the forest spanned 1,025 hectares," he said.

He pointed to the construction of the Prof. Dr. Sedyatmo toll road, residential complexes and industrial compounds as causes of the diminishing mangrove forest area, which is a natural buffer against the yearly floods. -- Antara